Air extractor device



a; A. MOORE AIR EXTRACTOR DEVICE Filed July 2'7 United States Patent ARR EXTRACTOR DEVICE George Arlington Moore, New York, N. Y.

Application .luly 27, 1956, Serial No. 600,550

Claims. (Cl. 5322) This invention relates to a novel device adapted for extracting air from containers and more particularly to novel means and method of removing residual air from conventional flexible containers that are first modified in a novel manner of their fabrication in order to fit them temporarily upon the device for the above purpose, the exterior surface of the enclosure Walls of the container being subjected to constant atmospheric pressure during the air evacuation stage of operation.

There are various well known forms of apparatus that are used conventionally for extracting air from containers. One form of such apparatus used for air extraction from bags consists of a flexible hose connected with a vacuum pump and a tube in the end of the hose to be temporarily inserted by hand into the open mouth of the bag adjacent a major sealed portion thereof for the purpose of drawing air from the bag, and after withdrawing the tube, complete the seal of the container. This method of drawing air from the container is a slow and cumbersome operation generally considered to 'be commercially unsatisfactory. Other forms of appara- 'tus used conventionally for the above purpose employ rather complicated mechanism and parts thereof being embodied within a chamber whereby the container with its contents is temporarily placed and secured in the open chamber which is then closed and sealed from the atmosphere while the container and chamber is air evacuated. At the end of the air evacuation time cycle the container is then heat sealed while in the chamber after which, the space in the chamber is restored to atmospheric pressure in order to be opened and release the sealed container. Such apparatus is complicated, and rather slow with respect to the time requirement necessary for each cycle of its operation.

The present invention constitutes an improvement on the above apparatus and one of the prime objects herein is to provide a novel device and method to evacuate air from product filled containers without requiring an embodiment of the above mentioned vacuum chamber for the purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement in portions of the Wall structure of both device and container that will co-act together to temporarily seal the mouth of the container upon the device while moving longitudinally over wall portions thereof to be effectively air evacuated.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel air extractor device that utilizes the general depression generated within the device to temporarily seal the container upon wall portions thereof to exclude the atmosphere while extracting the residual air from the interior of the product filled container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of apparatus with which to register the filled containers upon wall portions of the above device and convey them longitudinally thereof to be air evacuated and then progressively close the mouth of the container 'ice air-tight as it is moved from the device and into sealing means for effecting a hermetically sealed seam across a marginal portion of the closed mouth of the container.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an elongated stationary air extractor device that is completely void in itself of any mechanically actuated parts, and connecting the device with a suitable vacuum pump to function by the effects of the differential pressure between the air depression generated for the evacuation of the container and the coincident atmospheric pressure that is at the same time exerted upon the exterior of the enclosure walls of the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an air extractor device that is extremely low in cost, simple to operate and made in a form that can be adapted to function when installed in conjunction with other forms of container conveying apparatus including container filling and closing machinery.

Other objects and novel features of the invention including its various adaptations to container packaging machinery in general, will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein an exceptionally simple and non-complicated embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are utilized for purposes of illustration only, and are not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 is a partial view in side elevation showing a fragmentary portion of a flat pouch type flexible container as modified to make it adaptable to fit upon wall portions of the above air extractor device;

Fig. 2 is a partial view in end elevation showing a por tion of the modified container shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the air extractor device in side elevation and with fragmentary portions of its side wall broken away, and further showing multiple containers supported upon fragmentary portions of conveying and sealing apparatus that engage them upon wall portions of the device for being air evacuated;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the device, container and apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device, container and apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view .in partial perspective and in vertical cross section showing the de vice engaged in the mouth of the supported. container and taken along line 66 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is another fragmentary enlarged view in vertical cross section taken along line 77 of Fig. 3.

The present invention is particularly directed to a means and method for extracting residual air from product filled containers that are classified as having flexible wall portions that form the open mouth thereof and of modifying this part of the structure in a manner that will enable the containers to be engaged temporarily in air-tight relationship with the air extractor device for purpose of removing the above mentioned residual air. Then closing the mouth of the container as it leaves the end of the device by progressively clamping a lower margin of the wall portions thereof that were previously engaged upon the device and then effecting a permanent hermetic seal above the previously clamped marginal portion of the container.

To this end, conventional envelope type containers or bags having opposite side seams must of necessity be modified with respect to these side seams in the region adjacent to the top longitudinal edges that constitutes the open mouth of the wall structure in order to carry out the method of the present invention. These side seams are modified so that top ends thereof are terminated downwardly in spaced relation from the above mentioned top edges to permit the opposing marginal wall portions below these top edges to be flared outwardly to form a V-shaped endless trough made adaptable to straddle upon coincident V-shaped wall portions provided in the structure of the air extractor device. Other types of bags that are fabricated with but one longitudinal body seam may be modified for the above purpose by slitting a portion of the opposite corner folded ends of the bag adjacent the transverse top edges thereof so that the marginally opposed slit wall portions may be flared outwardly to function in a similar manner as above described. Hence, bags in general that are fabricated of suitable material including bags in cartons may be air evacuated by the novel means and method provided by the present invention.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l, the present invention is illustrated therein as including a modified side seam structure of the flat flexible container (a) provided with side seams (b). The side seams having top ends (d) terminated downwardly of the transverse top edges constituting the open mouth of the container whereby the opposed marginal portions (e) extending across the side walls thereof may be flared outwardly to form an elongated V-shaped trough with open ends and extending across the width of the container, the flared portions being shown in Fig. 2. The particular container (a) used to illustrate the invention may be fabricated of any desired adhered combinations of sheet materials such as materials used conventionally for making the above type envelopes or bags. The modification to the side seams above described may be accomplished by mere adjustments that can be easily made to the sealing irons employed for securing the side seams of the container during its fabrication. The container (a), however, is to be fabricated of substantially impervious heat sealable sheet material or of a combination of sheet materials having an inner lining of heat-scalable material. The material selected for the enclosure walls of the container into which the product is to be packaged must be constituted to maintain a vacuum within the interior thereof until opened by the consumer of its product. Many sheet materials are commercially available including materials being developed that are eflicient for being fabricated into containers made suitable for the above mentioned purpose.

' Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 there is illustrated therein the air extractor device 4 and showing it in a suspended fixed position over the opened mouth portion of a plurality of product filled containers (a) that are supported and directed by apparatus means to align and engage them with the device for purpose of being air evacuated, and thereafter be hermetically sealed. The device 4 consists of two relatively thin plates of machined metal or of other suitable rigid material and being shaped alike to constitute a left hand member 5 and a right band member 6. Each member is provided with an identical open space cavity that is projected inwardly of the surface face 7 surrounding the cavity. The open face of the cavities of each member are assembled together face opposed and the surfaces 7 meeting together to form a main cavity enclosure 8 within the exterior walls of the member assembly. The bottom of the cavity 8 is provided with downwardly and inwardly opposed sloping wall portions 9 and lit) to form slot openings 11 and 12 through portions of the bottom longitudinal corner end 14 of the elongated device. The open slot 11 joins with another extended open slot portion 15 that opens into the cavity open space 8 transversely of the bottom of slots 11 and 15, the latter portion 15 extending centrally into a plough shaped portion 16 that defines the back end extremity of the wall structureof the device. Each of the opposing side walls of the air extractor device is provided with a lower portion of its wall that slopes inwardly and downwardly to provide a bevelled wall surface 17 as shown in Fig. 7. The opposed wall portions 17 are further sloped inwardly toward each other in transverse direction to form a relatively sharp vertical apex edge 18 at the end of the plough-like outwardly projected portion 16 of the device for reasons hereinafter to be described. The opposite end of the device 4 is provided with a similar plow-like projecting portion 39 but having a sloping bottom corner edge portion 29 directed upwardly and outwardly of the longitudinal bottom corner edge 14 of the device. A series of longitudinally spaced drilled holes 21 are provided through the lower wall portions of the inwardly bevelled sides 17 and being spaced upwardly of the bottom corner edge thereof as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6 and 7. These holes being provided for a particular purpose hereinafter to be described. A few of these holes 21 are drilled through a solid wall portion of each left and right hand member of the device. Hence, a groove 22 is: provided in the face of each meeting surface wall portion 23 to connect these particular holes with the interior cavity space 8 as shown in Fig. 3.

The assembled plate members 5 and 6 of the device 4 may be secured together upon their respective face surfaces 7 with fillister head screws 24 and aligned by a pair of dowel pins 25 to provide convenient facility to take the members apart periodically for cavity cleaning purposes. Tapped holes are adjacent the top of the device are provided for fastening purposes to any suitable type of bracket desired and indicated by a piece thereof that is shown in Fig. 4. This bracket may be supported upon the opposite end thereof in any desired manner that Will position the device 4 as hereinbefore described. The right hand member 6 of the device is provided with a boss 28 having a central threaded hole extended into the interior cavity 8 and for a ripe or tube fitting to form a suitable tight connection with a conduit 29 (Fig. 4) leading to a vacuum pump selected for the operation of the above device. The pump is preferably to be located remote from the immediate vicinity of the air extractor device. Thus, the air in the interior cavity space provided within the enclosure walls of the device may be exhausted by the vacuum pump to maintain a depression measured in inches of mercury Hg substantially the equivalent of one atmosphere dependent, however, upon the air displacement capacity of the pump selected in cubic feet of air per minute and including the area established for the opening of the air intake suction ports of the air extractor device. In general, the elongation of the device may be arranged to function during any pan 'ticular time element desired for the product filled containers to pass conjunctively along portions of its walls while in direct contact with the air suction ports to substantially exhaust the air content from the interior thereof and during any established increment of time necessary to air evacuate the container with respect to its speed of motion along the device.

7 When air evacuating the containers packed with solid products or articles, they can be subjected to a vacuum that represents the maximum capacity of the particular pump connected with the air extractor device. Whereas, when air evacuating the containers packed with viscous or liquid products, the vacuum must be considerably reduced to prevent the enclosure walls of the container from being unduly compressed by the pressure of the atmosphere and thereby squeeze its contents into the air suction ports of the device. For this reason, the tube outlet 3d provided in the end of the conduit 29 connected with the device 4 is intended for a connection to be made with a valve controlled vent to the atmosphere through which to by-pass some air from the atmosphere into the conduit between the air extractor device and the vacuum pump. A vacuum gauge may be fitted above the vent for a si .nal setting of the valve that will regulate'the proper amount of air to be induced through the suction intake ports of the air extractor device from the container to control the amount of pressure of the atmosphere that will press inwardly upon the walls of the container. In this manner of air suction regulation for the air extractor device, the relatively small amount of residual air in the container above the level of the viscous or liquid content thereof can be extracted or at least rarified in density.

The containers (a) may be filled with the intended product or articles in any manner desired. The filled containers are then directed into conveying apparatus arranged to support them in upright position and transport the containers in alignment conjunctively with and along wall portions of the stationary air extractor device. A preferred arrangement of container conveying apparatus is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 wherein a pair of parallel endless belts 31 are provided suitably supported in vertical position and being driven over suitable pulleys in conjunction with a horizontal belt 32 that provides a flat bottom surface across adjacent bottom ends of the vertical pair of belts. These belts are driven at the same speed by a variable speed motor drive unit that can be regulated to transport the containers at any rate desired in inches per minute conjunctively over longitudinal wall portions of the elongated device 4. The bottom of each filled container (a) is supported upon the belt 32 and the side walls thereof being supported between belts 31, the mouth of the container extending upwardly of the top edges thereof. These belts are arranged to flatly clamp upon two opposed side Walls of the filled pouch type container to entrain the body thereof and direct the upper opposed margins (e) of its mouth on to the plough-shaped walls of the projected end portion 19 of the air extractor device which is positioned longitudinally central between the pair of belts. The margins (e) are separated by the sloping edge 20 of portion 19 to flare and straddle upon the V-shaped side wall portions 17 of the device and a coincident portion of the bottom corner edge 14 of these wall portions fitting snugly into the crotch formed in the engaging margins (e) by the top ends (d) of side seams (b) illustrated in Fig. 2 and further shown conjunctively with the device in Fig. 4. A pair of guide rods 33 are provided with flared ends adjacent the plough-shaped walls, each rod being spaced outwardly from the surface of each wall portion 17 and extending parallel thereto adjacent the air suction holes 21. These rods may be supported in any manner desired from upper parts of the device 4 to serve the purpose of insuring the making of surface contacting relationship of margins (e) of the entrained container upon coincident surfaces 17 of the device so that air suction holes 21 are closed by these margins to form a depression between surfaces whereby the effects of the pressure of the atmosphere upon the margins closes the container conjunctively upon coincident wall portions of the air extractor device during the stage of extracting air from the engaging container.

The trough-like open mouth portion of the container (at) is fitted upon the device 4 in the novel manner illustrated in Fig. 6 and by the co-acting effects of the opposed air suction holes 21 and the transverse air suction slot 12 in the device that constitutes an open port connection with the mouth of the container and the port being enclosed by the flared lips (e) thereof that are temporarily sealed upon the device by the suction through the coincident holes 21. The primary purpose of the air suction slot 12 is to initially reduce some of the residual air within the container to form a neck portion 35 thereto under the bottom corner edge 14 of the device. Accordingly, the opposed elongated neck margins 35 are fitted snugly around the opposite corner edges formed on the bottom of members 5 and 6 constituting the above mentioned bottom corner edge 14 of the device, and forming the elongated neck portion 35 by the effects of the lowcred air pressure within the interior of the container and the higher pressure of the atmosphere exerted upon its exterior.

Due to the fact that the containers are provided with interior surfaces of thermoplastic film material of desired composition and especially over the interior of the troughlike mouth portions thereof, suction holes 21 will cause the pressure of the atmosphere to push inwardly upon these substantially cushioned marginal surfaces of the mouth portions and keep them in temporarily sealed relationship upon corresponding wall portions of the device. The surface of these particular wall portions of the device are preferably highly polished to induce easy slip for the pressure sealed lips of the container to be moved longitudinally over these surfaces during the air evacuation stage of operation. Therefore the co-eflicient of friction between surfaces i. c.; thermoplastic film and polished walls, is greatly reduced so that the container supporting conveyance apparatus can easily move these lip margins of the containers along the elongated walls of the device from end to end for air evacuation of the containers. When evacuating containers having soft enclosure walls of relatively thin material and not rigid enough to be self supporting above the top edges of belts 31, then, moving tape belts may be employed in conjunction with belts 31 to flatly engage and pull the marginal lips (e) of the container along the bevelled wall surfaces 17 of the air extractor device during the stage of extracting air from the containers.

The filled containers are preferably fed into the conveyor belts 31 and 32 in closely spaced longitudinal relationship to minimize the gap between their respective vertical edges especially when a high vacuum is to be de-- veloped within the container by its connection with the elongated air suction slot 11-15 as they are moved conjunctively along the walls of the device and thereby minimize the exposure of the air suction slots to the atoms phere. It will be noted that suction holes 21 above the suction slot 11-15 are spaced closer together to insure against air leakage of the container from the atmosphere while further removing residual air from the container through this air suction slot. The extended slot portion 15 of the air suction port 11 and the opposed air suction holes 21 positioned transversely thereof is illustrated in Fig. 7 showing the form taken by the neck of the container at the conclusion of its air evacuation stage of operation. The amount of residual air in the container that can be extracted through the air suction ports 11--15 of the device is regulated in direct proportion to the amount of reduced pressure of the air, measured in inches of mercury Hg, that is developed within the cavity space above these suction ports by the regulated capacity of the vacuum pump connected therewith. Therefore, the resultant vacuum that may be established in containers may be varied in a range from one to twenty eight inches of mercury or higher dependent upon the particular requirements desired for the protection of container contents. The neck marginal wall portions 35 of the air evacuated container directly under the air suction ports 1115 are substantially closed together by the pressure of the atmosphere exerted upon the opposed surfaces thereof when the container is substantially exhausted of air as illustrated in Fig. 7. This temporary closure is therefore effected by the differential pressure measured in pounds per square inch acting upon the interior and exterior surfaces of enclosure walls of the container affected by the air extractor device.

In order to maintain the established vacuum within the container as each container is removed from the air extractor device to be permanently hermetically sealed, a novel arrangement is provided for clamping the opposed neck margins 35 of the air evacuated container progressively together in air-tight closure relationship as illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein there is shown in broken outline a diagrammatic lay-out of a pair of chains 37 of the silent flat link type, the chains being arranged to be guided over suitable sprockets and driven by a pair of sprockets 38 that are mounted upon a pair ofvertical shafts that support and drive a pair of opposed heat sealing rollers 39 above the sprockets 38. A pair of flat steel tape belts may be employed in place of chains if desired. This particular arrangement of chains or steel belts is somewhat similar to conventional equipment in a paratus used for bag preheating and sealing purposes. However, the particular arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 is pertinent to the present invention with respect to its functional purpose used in conjunction with the air extractor device described as follows: the temporarily sealed marginal lips (11) of the air evacuated container upon coincident V-shaped wall portions 17- of the air cxtractor device are directed inwardly to each other while: passing over the triangular plough-shaped Wall portions of the projected part 16 that defines the terminal end of the device. The vertical end edge extremity 18 of this. part is provided to be relatively sharp to provide means to bring the chains 37 closely together at this edge to securely clamp the neck margins 35 together in the above mentioned air-tight relationship and effecting the above clamp progressively as the marginal lip portions (2) of the container disengage from this vertical edge 18 of the air extractor device. The clamp of the neck margins: 35 is effected inwardly opposed directly under the bottom corner edge 14 transverse of the sharp vertical edge 18' of the air extractor device whereby the air evacuated container is effectively maintained air-tight while being transported to enter the opposed marginal lips (e) above the: clamped neck margins into the heat sealing rolls 39 to effect a hermetic seal directly above these clamped margins of the container. It will be noted that the clamped margins 35 of the neck portions of the container extends transversely across a small marginal portion of the sideseams (b) of the container adjacent the terminal ends (d) of these modified seams. Apparatus pressure means may be provided to be suitably imposed inwardly upon each chain to maintain the clamp of the margins in the above mentioned air-tight relationship as initiated by the pair of adjustable sprockets 40 shown by the diagram in a part of Fig. 5 and further illustratedin part of Fig 7. The clamped margins 35 keep the containers airtight until the marginal closure is permanently sealed across the mouth of the container by the pair of heat sealing rolls 39. This permanent seal while effected above the clamped marginal wall portions 35 over aps the top terminal ends of the transverse side seams of the container. The length of the clamping portion of the chains 37 may be determined by the time required to pre-heat the thermoplastic material upon the u per interior surfaces of the lip margins of the container and become partially activated to insure a strongly sealed bond of opposing margins that is effected by passing between the heated andpressure regulated rolls 39 whereby a longitudinal seam 41 is effected across the entire width of the container as it is transported away from these rolls and cooled. The above mentioned pre-heating of the marginal lips of the container may be accomplished by radiant heat from stationary heating elements that may be placed in close proximity to the clamping chains and lips of the container during the movement of containers from the air extractor device to the heat sealing rolls. The seam 41 thus effected blends into the upper ends of the side seams (b) of the container as shown in Fig. 3.

When packing solid articles into containers to be air evacuated, it is contemplated that the air extractor device may be fixed in a transverse position with respect to the vertical position illustrated if desired so that containers may be fed to the device in horizontal position. The herein described plates 5 and 6 constituting the basic structure of the device 4 may be shaped of stainless steel, monel metal or other suitable material including plastic compounds that may be molded to form the structure economically. The belts 31 and 32 including clamping edge 18 of the device.

chains 37 and outer periphery surfaces of heat sealing rolls 39 are all co-ordinated to operate at identical rate of speed that may be desired. 7

It is contemplated by the invention that conventional bag in carton type of containers may be efficiently air evacuated in a similar manner as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In this instance, the bag or liner of the carton made of suitable material and scams thereof, is modified by slitting a vertical line spaced inwardly of the top edge of each wall of one pair of opposing side walls thereof so that upon folding these slit wall portions with the adjacent opposing pair of the bag part of the carton to form a closure, a pair of endless trough-like longitudinal marginal lips similar to the lips (e) of the container (a) will extend upwardly transverse of the flat horizontal folded wall. portions of the bag. As a rule, the bag in carton type of container, after being filled with the intended product, is folded in a manner to provide a pair of gusset pleated triangular shaped flat wall portions of the bag or liner either inwardly or outwardly of sponding side walls and over corner edges of the carton. These folds will provide the modified longitudinal troughlike margins to extend vertically across the mouth of the bag and the opposite ends thereof be in register with the vertical slit lines that are arranged to terminate adjacent the corner end extremity of the above mentioned triangular shaped transversely folded wall portions. Hence, the endiess trough-like margins are adapted to flare outwardly of each other to be engaged conjunctively with the air extractor device for the urpose of extracting the air content from the bag part of the container in the manner illustrated and herein described for the air evacuati n of containers (a) and shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The carton supports its bag or liner in place of bolts 31 and the cartons may be transported under and along the air extractor device in any suitable manner desired that will keep the mouth of the bag engaged with the device.

In some instances, the closure of the bag may be advantageously sealed progressively and directly from the vertical sharp edge 18 of the device, the pair of chains 37 being heated to serve this purpose. Alternatively, a pair of suitably heated steel belts may be arranged in place of chains to seal the trough-like marginal lips of the bag as they are stripped and closed from the vertical in such instance, the heat sealing rolls 39 may be dispensed with. The projected marginal folds of the sealed bag may be folded with the flaps of the carton to close the container in the usual conventional manner. it is to be noted that bag in carton type containers are used conventionally by packers in considerable volume and are equipped with efficient automatic machinery for the making and handling of them. The air extractor device of the present invention may be easily embodied in a part of this standard equipment for the purpose herein described. It is to be further noted that the enclosure walls of the air evacuated bag part of the container are collapsed inwardly upon its contents without affecting the wall structure of the carton. The bag itself may be so badly shaped by its contents as to be considered very unattractive with respect to its sales appeal for the product contained, whereas, it being enclosed within the un-afiected enclosure Walls of the supporting carton the sales appeal for this product will remain attractive as originally intended by the packer.

While one form of the invention has been illustrated and described with considerable particularity, it will he understood, by those skilled in the art, that various changes may be made therein with-out departing from the spirit of the invention. Reference will therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for extracting air from commodity packed flexiblecontainers that are provided with opposing wall portions constituting the mouth thereof that are arranged to conjunctively fit upon V-shaped wall portions provided for said apparatus and the bottom longitudinal corner edge thereof being adapted to snugly fit into crotch shaped wall portions adjacent the opposite ends of said mouth wall portions of the container that are engaged with said apparatus, which comprises elongated opposing side walls extending in length equivalent to the longitudinal width of a plurality of aligned containers to be air evacuated, a chamber space within the enclosure walls of the elongated apparatus and tubular connections from said chamber space to a source of vacuum, a series of longitudinally spaced air suction holes through the opposite walls of said V-shaped wall portions of the apparatus communicating with said chamber space, and elongated air suction slots through said bottom corner edge of the V-shaped walls communicating with the chamber space, a triangular plough-shaped centrally projected wall portion at one end of said apparatus and said triangular shaped walls smoothly blending into junction with said ll-shaped side walls, another triangular ploughshaped centrally projected wall portion at the opposite end of the apparatus, said wall portions blending smoothly from said V-shaped side walls and the triangular walls tapering inwardly toward each other to form a relatively sharp vertical edge defining the end extremities of said apparatus, one of said air suction slot being extended into the central part of the latter mentioned triangular shaped wall portion and terminating said extension of the slot adjacent said vertical edge thereof, said vertical edge extending downwardly to form a right angular corner edge conjunctively with said longitudinal bottom corner edge of the apparatus, said first mentioned ploughshaped wall portion thereof providing means to register said opposing wall portions of the container mouth to straddle upon said V-shaped wall portions of the appa ratus while coincident air suction holes therein including one of said air suction slots transverse thereof co-act together to seal the container conjunctively with the apparatus in slider relationship with respect to the container engaging wall portions, means for moving the containers successively along said apparatus in closely spaced relationship while extracting air from the interior thereof through said air suction slots, and means for bringing the engaged marginal wall portions of the container together at said sharp vertical edge of the last mentioned triangular shaped wall portions of the apparatus and effecting a clamp of said margins by pressing them together to close said container air-tight directly at the point of said sharp vertical edge and progressively a said con tainer leaves the proximity of the apparatus to be hermetically sealed in permanent seam forming relationship.

2. An apparatus device for extracting air from product filled flexible containers made of substantially impervious sheet material and or" providing said containers with a structural modification necessary to engage them conjunctively with said device for purpose of extracting the air from within the interior thereof, and which includes forming marginal seams on opposite sides of the container body to terminate short of the transverse top end edges of the body constituting the open mouth thereof so that the top marginally opposed longitudinal side wall portions inwardly of said end edges may be flared outwardly to form a substantially V-shaped endless troughlike mouth of the container, said apparatus device ineluding an elongated if-shaped wall surface portion there of having a relatively narrow elongated air suction open slot passing through a wall portion of the elongated bottom corner edge of said i -shaped wall, said slot cornmunicating with a cavity space provided within wall confines of the device and said cavity being connected with a source of vacuum, said V-shaped wall portion being provided with a series of transversely disposed longitudinally spaced air suction holes through opposite sides and communicating with said cavity space, said holes being ,traasversely disposed inwardly of said bottom corner edge of the V-shaped Wall surfaces, the opposite terminal ends of said V-shaped wall being contoured in triangular wedge-shape form and one of said ends; being substantially at right angles to said bottom corner edge and relatively sharp, the open mouth of said containers being adapted to engage upon the exterior surface portions of said V-shaped wall of the device and the marginally flared lips of each engaging container closing a series of said air suction holes therein whereby the effects of the air suction through said holes causes the pressure of the atmosphere to press upon the surface area of said engaging lips of the container thereby sealing the interior thereof from the atmosphere while the air suction passing through said elongated open slot extracts the air from within the container, and means for stripping the mouth of the air evacuated containers from said device and eifect an air-tight seal thereof.

3. An apparatus device for extracting air from the interior of product filled containers each having an open mouth characterized by two opposed longitudinal marginal side wall portions that forms a pair of outwardly flared lips to constitute an open and endless V-shaped trough-like mouth adapted to engage conjunctively upon a coincident longitudinal wall portion of said device, which includes an elongated V-shaped wall portion thereof having at least one air suction open slot extending through a longitudinal bottom blunt edge portion of said V-shaped wall portion and a series of longitudinally spaced air suction openings positioned transversely of said open slot and extending through the opposite sides of the V-shaped wall, said open slot and spaced openings communicating with a cavity space within the enclosure walls of said device, said cavity having connection with a source of vacuum, the open mouth of said container being engaged upon the V-shaped wall portion of the device whereby the air suction through the opposite sides of said wall portion seals the mouth of the container to the device thereby excluding the atmospheric air from entering into the interior of the engaged container while the air suction through said open slot of the device substantially air evacuates the interior of the product filled container, and means for air-tight closing of the mouth of the air evacuated container as it is withdrawn from said air extracting device.

4. Apparatus for extracting air from pouch type commodity packed containers made of substantially impervious heat sealable sheet material, marginally opposed wall portions at the mouth of the container being flared outwardly to conjunctively engage upon a coincident rigid wall portion of a stationary positioned air extractor device having air conduit connection with a vacuum pump, said device comprising an elongated longtudinal V-shape wall portion defining a lower part of the device and having a blunt bottom edge provided with relatively narrow elongated air suction open slots in spaced relation and communicating 'into a chamber space disposed within the enclosure walls of the device, a series of air suction holes extending through opposite sides of said V-shape wall and spaced longitudinally apart communicating into said chamber space, a terminal end of the device being defined as of triangular shape and tapering inwardly from opposite sides terminating into a relatively sharp corner edge centrally aligned at right angle with respect to said bottom corner edge of the V-shape wall, the opposite terminal end being susbtantially plough-shape having a relatively sharp mitre sloping edge centrally aligned from the adjacent terminal end of said bottom corner edge of the V-shape wall portion, means for conveying said commodity packed containers, the mouth thereof on to said plough-shape end of the device whereby the marginally opposed wall portions thereof flare to straddle over said V-shape wall portion thereof, the air suction passing through the holes in the opposite sides of the engaged V-shape wall pulling said flared wallportions of the container inwardly closing a series of said holes aseaaee thereby sealing the mouth of the container from the atmosphere while said air suction slots transverse of said holes extracts air from-the interior of the container, said sealed wall portions sliding longitudinally along the V-shape'wall whileair evacuating the container, means for clamping a lower marginal portion of said sealed wail portions to maintain the seal of the mouth as it is withdrawn from said first mentioned sharp corner end of the air extracting device and prior to the effecting of a permanent seal thereof inseam forming relationship.

5. A device for extracting air from product filled con tainers, which includes marginally opposed wall portions at the mouth of the container being made suitable to fit conjunctiveiy upon surface portions of an elongated tri angular shape wall each side sloping downwardly and inwardly terminating into a straight and relatively blunt bottom longitudinal corner edge defining a lower part of an elongated air extracting device having an interior cavity space in communication with aseries of air suction outlets disposed through opposite sides of said'triangular wall portion, and transversely through portions of its bottom corner edge, said cavity space being connected with a source of vacuum, the mouth of said' product filled container upon entering an end extremity of the device being guided to engage the mar inally opposed wall portions of the mouth of the container in conjunctive fitting relationship upon the triangular wall portion of said device, the active air suction through said outlets closing said mouth margins upon the device and thereby exclude air from entering into the container while the activeair suction through'said bottom corner edge of the device coacts to extract air from the interior of said container, and means for maintaining the vacuum within the container during its withdrawing from the opposite end extremity of said air extracting device.

6. A device for extracting air from product filled plastic type heat scalable containers, which includes marginally opposed side wall portions constituting the longitudinal open mouth of the container being provided with open opposite ends in spaced relation inwardly from the top edges thereof, said device comprising an elongated rigid body having two opposing side walls and the lower portion of each wall being sloped inwardly and downwardly toward each other to define a substantially blunt and straight longitudinal bottom end edge of a ti-shape wall portion of said rigid body, opposite ends of said body being substantially sharp edged whereby a portion of each side wall disposed inwardly of each of said ends is sloped outwardly and inwardly toward each other and terminating to form said sharp edge, one of said end edges sloping upwardly and outwardly and the opposite end edge being disposed upwardly at substantially a right angle from a substantially sharp corner formed with a terminal end of said straight bottom edge of the body,

a cavity space being provided within the enclosure walls of said body and a series of air suction outlets from said cavity being disposed through opposite sides of said V- shape wall portion and transversely through said bottom end edge of the body, said cavity space being connected with a vacuum pump or other source of vacuum where by, said product filled containers when conveyed to re ister said open mouth of the container upon said V-shape wall portion of the device, the action of said air suction outlets coacting to seal said mouth upon the device while extracting air from the interior thereof, thereby air evacuating the engaged container as it is moved along said device, and means to progressively close and seal said month during its withdrawal from said right angle end extremity thereof.

7; Apparatus for air evacuating commodity packed heat scalable containers, the mouth of the container being adapted to fit conju-nctively upon a wall portion of an elongated air extracting body defined as being V-shape and having a relatively narrow blunt bottom edge terminated at opposite ends with relatively sharp edges transverse 'of'said bottom edge, the interior of said body being provided with an open space portion with a main outlet for connection with a vacuum pump and including a series of air suction outlets extending through opposite sides of said V-shape wall and transversely through the bottom corner edge thereof, said air extracting body when being engaged with said containers being constituted to seal the mouth thereof upon said V-shape wall portion thereby sealing the interior of the container from the atmosphere by the effects of the air suction of said series or"; outlets, the co-actingeffects of a portion of said series of outlets through the bottom edge of said body defining means to air evacuate said engaging containers, and means to close air-tight said mouth of the particular container as it is withdrawn from an end extremity of the air extracting body.

8. A device for air evacuating product filled containers, the containers characterized as being made of flexible plastic lined sheet material that is heat scalable and being provided with a pair of flaring marginal lips defining the open mouth of the container adapted to en gage upon the air evacuating device for purpose of extracting air from the interior of said container, said device comprising two elongated rigid plates constituting a right and left hand component part secured together in face to face relationship, each plate being recessed with a cavity space in "facing relationship thereby providing a hollow chamber portion within the interior of the secured plates, one of said plates having an open port from its recessed portion adapted for air conduit connection with a source of vacuum, the elongated bottom end of the secured plates being formed V-shape, the longitudinal straight bottom corner edge being substantially blunt and provided with relatively narrow open air suction slots in spaced relation extending through said blunt corner edge, a series of air suction holes being provided transversely through opposite sides of said V-shape wall portion of the device and in longitudinally spaced relation, said air suction openings in general communicating into said cavity space, the opposite ends of the secured plates transverse of said V-s hape wall portion being shaped triangular and contoured to form a relatively sharp edge at each on positeend, at least one end being disposed substantially at right angle to said longitudinal V-shape corner edge, the defined device when engaging with said container being adapted to extract air therefrom, whereby the air suction holes disposed through opposite sides of the V- shape wall portion of the device seals the mouth of the engaging container from atmospheric air while said air suction slots extracts air from the interior of the product filled container, and means associated with the device to maintain the vacuum within the container as it is withdrawn from the device and effecting a permanent seal of the air evacuated container in seam forming relation ship.

9. Apparatus for extracting air from commodity filled plastic type containers, which includes marginally opposed longitudinal wall portions at the mouth of the container being made trough-like with open opposite ends defining a pair of flaring lips adapted for fitting conjunctively upon surface portions of an elongated air extracting device provided with a triangular shape wall portion, each side sloped inwardly and downwardly to each other into a blunt bottom corner edge defining a lower part of said device, said part being adapted to fit into said defined mouth of said container, the interior of the body of said device having a connection with a source of vacuum and being provided with a series of air suction ports extending through opposite sides of said triangular shape wall portion, and transversely through portions of said blunt bottom edge thereof, said series of air suction ports being substantially closed from the atmosphere by the mouth wall portions of a plurality of containers engaged upon the device whereby the mouth of each container is closed in sealed relationship upon said device by the co-acting effects of the air suction being active in transverse directions upon the interior surface portions of the engaged container, means for pulling the lips of the containers while sealed longitudinally along the device and while the interior of the container is being air evacuated by the air suction active through said bottom corner edge of the device, and means to progressively close said lips air-tight during the withdrawing of the lips of each air evacuated container from an end extremity of the air extracting device.

10. The method of extracting air from product filled containers, the container characterized as being provided with a pair of marginally opposed flaring lips defining the mouth thereof adapted to engage upon coincident wall surface portions of an air extracting device, the method comprising engaging the containers with said device and effecting a temporary seal of said lips of the container upon the device by the effects of air suction openings arranged through said coincident wall surfaces thereof thereby sealing the engaging mouth of the container upon said device while air suction through other openings in the device are arranged to be exposed to the interior of said container and co-act to substantially extract the air contents therefrom and sealing the mouth of the air evacuated container progressively during its removal from the air suction device.

11. The method of extracting air from commodity packed containers, the container being provided with an open mouth arranged with a pair of marginally opposed flaring flanges adapted to engage with coincident wall surface portions of an air extracting device, said device being provided with air suction openings through its coinciding wall portions and other air suction openings being provided through the bottom corner end of said wall portions, the method comprising feeding the product filled containers into engagement with said device whereby said flaring flanges are directed into surface to surface contact with said coinciding wall portions of the air extracting device, temporarily sealing said flanges by the efiects of the first mentioned air suction openings thereby preventing air from entering into the container while the air suction through said second mentioned other openings co-act to extract air from the interior of the engaged containers, closing the mouth of the air evacuated container in sealed relationship progressively during their respective disengagement from said device.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein elongating said device so that said flanges at the mouth of engaging containers moving in flange slider surface engagements upon the device maintains an atmospheric seal of the container while traversing the elongation thereby pro viding for a time cycle for the air suction through said second mentioned other openings to co-act extensively in extracting air from the engaging containers.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the engaging containers after traversing the air suction openings are stripped from the device after progressively closing a marginal portion at the mouth of the air evacuated container adjacent the bottom corner portion of the device.

14. The method according to claim ll wherein air evacuating containers characterized as being bag liners in cartons and engaging the mouth of the bag part thereof upon the device substantially as set forth.

15. Apparatus for extracting air from containers of foldable impervious sheet material provided with an inner surface of heat sealable plastic film and the open mouth of the container being provided with trough-like lips adapted to engage over a V-shape portion of an elongated air extracting device, which comprises an elongated body of rigid material having a lower longitudinal portion thereof V-shaped, the opposing side walls sloping inwardly and terminating with a blunt comer edge, air suction openings being provided through the V-shaped sides communicating into a chamber space provided within said body, and at least one other air suction opening elongated being provided through said blunt corner edge and communicating into said chamber space in turn communicating with a source of vacuum, the opposing ends of said V-shaped side portions being triangular shape ter- 'minating into substantially sharp corner edges disposed centrally and upwardly from the longitudinally disposed blunt corner edge of the device, means being provided to convey and engage the product filled containers upon the device whereupon said trough-like lips at the mouth of the containers are closed inwardly upon said V-shaped wall portion of the device thereby closing the coincident air suction openings through said wall whereby the interior of the container is sealed from air entry while the open throat in the mouth thereof is exposed to said other air suction opening that co-acts in extracting air from the container, means being provided to close the open throat of the air evacuated container prior to its being disengaged from the device at one of said triangular shaped ends thereof and effecting a permanent seal of said container by application of heat and pressure longitudinally across said throat in seam forming relationship.

No references cited. 

